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The 34th Mill Valley Film Festival is one of the top cinema celebrations in the country, and it starts this Thursday, October 6. KALW contributor Kevin Robinson sat down with Festival Director of Programming Zoe Elton to discuss some of the highlights.

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ZOE ELTON: Well, some of the highlights – we’re opening with two great films, “Jeff Who Lives At Home,” by the Duplass brothers. The director’s expected to be there. And possibly one or more of the actors will be there for opening night, and the co-opening film is Albert Nobb’s new film with Glenn Close directed by Rodrigo Garcia, and both of them are expected to be there.

KEVIN ROBINSON: I noticed that Doug Nichol from San Anselmo, Jim Sugar from Mill Valley, Donald Goldmacher from Berkeley…

ELTON: Maureen Gosling, again a returning filmmaker. She’s edited a film called “Smokin’ Fish,” which is, it’s about literally, smoking fish. The work of Native Americans…

ROBINSON: Actually smoke fish, as in roll them up and smoke them?

ELTON: Well cut them up and smoke them, actually, yeah! (laughs)

ROBINSON: As in smokehouse.

ELTON: Yes.

ROBINSON: Smoked-flavored fish. (laughs) Maureen is from the Bay Area?

ELTON: Yeah, she’s from the East Bay.

ROBINSON: There are other films that have Bay Area connections. I think one’s called “Stage Left: A Story of Theater in San Francisco.”

ELTON: Right, a story close to my heart, actually. Austin Forbord has made a film that is really about the incredibly vibrant and innovative theater that has been practiced and done in the Bay Area. I think “Stage Left” is showing us how important it is to put the left coast on the theatrical map.

ROBINSON: Zoe, another film is called “Voices from the Shadows.” Now tell us about that.

ELTON: Well, this is a film that we’ve really wanted to get behind as a part of our active cinema program. Quite often we find that when an audience sees a film, they’re inspired to do something. So active cinema is trying to connect the dots between the experience of the story of the film, and people who say, “Well, what can I do?” In this instance, the film is about myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is like an extreme form of chronic fatigue. It’s a little confusing because they call it ME in England, where the film is from, and they call it different things here. But we decided to work with the filmmaker to show the film and to do a panel about the issues in the film. So we’re going to have a panel that’s including Dr. Jose Montoya from Stanford, who is kind of like a rockstar doctor in this area.

So we really want to see if a film can help make a difference. And that’s why we’re showing this film.

ROBINSON: Is there anything else you want to add?

ELTON: Well, thank you, and the closing night film – let me throw that one in because this film is dynamite. It’s called “The Artist,” and it’s actually a silent film, but don’t let that put you off. It’s really one of the funniest, most engaging, heart-opening, wonderful films that I’ve seen with an amazing performance by a Jack Russell Terrier. Not sure that the Jack Russell will be with us, but the director Michel Hazanavicius will be there. The lead actors Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo will be there. So it’s going to be a fabulous closing night.

Kevin Robinson is executive director of Medium Rare, which highlights the achievements of women and people of color in media.